


you are the moon that breaks the night [and may i never see the light]

by sinandmisery



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-19 23:12:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1487620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinandmisery/pseuds/sinandmisery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vampire/Werewolf AU.</p><p>Regina Mills, Queen of the Lycanthrope, has ruled over her kind for more than 100 years. For 75 of those years, the Lycanthrope have been at war with the Vampires, due to an accidental death of Vampire King Leopold while on Lycanthrope territory, an offense violating the 500 year old peace treaty between the two sides. What will happen when she and Emma, progeny of new Vampire Queen Snow, meet?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Slight (but not extremely graphic) mentions of violence. This is a story about Vampires and Werewolves, so trigger warning for blood (but again, not extremely graphic)
> 
> Many many many thanks to thecousinsdangereux and dubcliq for their help with betaing & a special shout out to my normal beta, grdnofevrythng, with many congratulations on her pending wedding.
> 
> Also, many thanks to all my cheerleaders all the way, from the anons on tumblr to my extra special favoritest cheerleader, Laura, who is probably the biggest reason for my Swan Queen obsession. She was there for me from day one on this fic (before the SQBB was even announced), and helped me all along the way in making this what it is.

Emma sneaks through the forest quietly, in search of the Hunter she's been tracking for days. They had lost four of their new Trackers in the last two days before he up and disappeared from Boston, heading up the coast into Maine. It's Lycan territory, so she's hidden underneath the cloak of her enemy, taken from a Lycan prisoner Snow and David captured a few days ago. She pauses, closes her eyes and listens for the heartbeat of the Hunter before moving farther into the woods. She barely gets a few steps before she's shoved up against the rough bark of a tree, hand at her throat.

"Bloodsucker," the voice hisses through blood red lips, and in the pale light filtering through the trees, Emma can see the brown-gold eyes glinting beneath the hood of the cloak that matches hers.

"Wolf," Emma says, the word sticking in her throat from the pressure of the hand wrapped around it. She tries to stay calm, eyes slipping shut as she focuses all her power to her hands before bringing them up and shoving the wolf from her, the blue bolts of energy sending her skidding across the forest floor.

The wolf is back in an instant, fists clenching as she circles Emma. "What are you doing on my territory?" she asks, sneering when Emma takes a step closer.

"Tracking," Emma says, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck, preparing for attack.

The wolf lunges, knocking Emma to the ground, but she quickly recovers, flipping them over so she's on top. She lands a punch and the wolf growls, gnashing her teeth and catching Emma's knuckles. Emma hisses in pain at the contact, the wolf venom burning through her veins, inching its way through pathways that haven't pumped blood in decades. She moves off the wolf and shakes her hand out, crouching back into a defensive stance.

"And what, pray tell, were you tracking on _my_ territory?" The wolf asks, standing and wiping the blood from her split lip, a purple glow emanating beneath the skin as it heals instantly. Emma can't hide the shocked look on her face and the other woman chuckles darkly.

"What? Thought you were the only one with magic, dear?"

"No, I..." Emma starts, but trails off, hissing at the sting of her busted knuckles when she flexes her fingers. Given that it's typically unnecessary, she's yet to learn how to heal with her magic and with the wolf's venom in her veins it's going to take hours for the wounds to heal. "A hunter," she finishes, answering Regina's initial question. Before she can make it up to her feet, she's knocked to the ground again with a blast of purple magic.

She scrambles back to her feet, fangs clicking out and eyes glowing a brilliant emerald green. She feels the magic at her fingertips but she forgoes the blast for charging at the wolf, tackling her around her midsection and slamming her into one of the pines so hard that it partially uproots. They trade blows across the forest floor, mostly hand to hand, until the wolf sends her flying into a rock. She feels several ribs shatter and then realign, clicking back into place. It's not fast enough, though, and before she can spring back to her feet, the wolf is on top of her, fingers wrapped around her throat once more.

The wolf chuckles again, dark and smoky, her nails transforming into claws that dig at the back of Emma's neck, and Emma refuses to flail; refuses to give the wolf on top of her the satisfaction.

"Didn't Mommy and Daddy tell you, dear? You shouldn't strike your elders."

Razor sharp teeth shine behind a seductive smirk and it hits Emma then. The wolf on top of her is not just any wolf, but Regina Mills, Queen of the Lycanthrope. She also happens to be nearly 100 years her senior.

Right now? She's well and truly _fucked_.

She feels magic coursing through her body and she knows it's not her own when she feels it constrict around her heart which has long ceased beating. She briefly wonders if Snow can feel it, can sense it, but quickly pushes that thought to the back of her mind as she focuses on resisting Regina's. The hand at her throat squeezes harder and she feels it in her chest as well, but as suddenly as it starts it stops again.

"Stay off my land, _princess_ ," Regina says, rising and brushing the dirt from her cloak. "Or the next time, you won't make it back home."

With a flick of her wrist, Emma's cloak is in her hand and she disappears in a haze of purple.

*

It's nearly dawn when Emma stumbles back toward the old hotel she now calls home, the sun breaking the horizon slowing her stride. She wants to hurry, but her limbs feel like lead; the cloak, had served not only as a way to disguise her from the Lycans, but also as a shield from the sun after long nights in the woods, tracking hunters and attacking the enemy. It's gone now, though, and the weight in her body feels heavier with every inch the sun rises, slowly illuminating the sky but not quite reaching her skin through the heavy fog.

(It will soon, though, because she can feel it in her still veins, burning in a manner entirely different from the wolf's bite. She looks at her knuckles and flexes her hands, feeling the tight skin that's mended itself over bone. The skin over her ring finger isn't quite healed and it splits back open, a few drops of blood making their way to the surface. It's the closest she's felt to human in years.)

*

Even in the pitch black of her room, Emma sleeps fitfully through the early morning, tossing and turning until 9 when she finally makes her way down to the basement. She scours the shelves in the dim light from the single bulb swaying in the middle of the room, searching for any book that might have even a little information on the Lycan Queen. She's never been one for research - she's more of a _doer_ than a _thinker_ \- but she has too many questions, not the least of which is why she's still alive. Had the roles been reversed, had it been David and Ruby, Regina's right hand as Emma understands it, the wolf would at least be locked in the enchanted cage in the far corner of the room.

Emma already knows she won't get any answers from Snow or David. If they even knew she had an encounter with Regina, she'd be forbidden to even leave the walls of the hotel for who knows how long, so her only option is to find out for herself. She needs answers. Hints at Regina's weaknesses. Something - _anything_ \- that might tell her why she let her go; any reason she didn't kill her when her magic clenched so hard around Emma's heart that she thought it might crumble into ash. She can only hope for an answer somewhere in the pages spread out in front of her.

*

"Emma?"

Emma looks up to the sound of Snow's voice, runs her hand through her hair and sighs. It's out of habit more than anything else; getting used to not breathing is surprisingly hard, even when you don't need to. Snow's eyes go wide and Emma drops her gaze back to the book she was looking through. She knows she probably looks awful, a combination of the wolf's venom (it's almost gone now; she can feel the pulsing burn under her skin subsiding), lack of sleep, and lack of feeding making her more pale than usual.

"Are you okay?" Snow asks, her cold fingers cupping Emma's cheek. "You're burning up."

"Fine," Emma says, ducking her injured hand beneath the table and out of sight. "Long night. Can't sleep."

"You were hurt," Snow says, and Emma knows it's not a question; knows her sire felt her pain when Regina's magic clutched at her heart.

"Just a scrape," Emma brushes it off. "I'm fine."

"You need to feed. I'll send Archie down with some blood. You need your strength."

Snow doesn't say what for, but Emma doesn't need the reminder. In three days, they'll go for Ruby. A whole pack of them sent out to capture the Queen's most loyal subject; a wolf older than the Queen herself. It's a point of contention between David and Snow - Emma's presence with the trackers - but even as the youngest member of the group, Emma's tracking abilities are better than everyone else's combined. She'd been good at it when she was human, but becoming a Vampire and learning to control her magic had only served to make the skill stronger. While David isn't a fan of her being out in the war either, he knows it is for the best. Emma hates it, though; hates the whole idea of it all - the war, the kidnapping, the "plans."

"I'll need a new cloak," Emma says to Snow's retreating form. Upon her questioning look, Emma simply shrugs and says, "Just a scratch."

*

The books are mostly useless. Many of them are ancient texts, written years before the treaty, and anything newer is from the years immediately after; long before Regina's parents were even born. There is one, though, written shortly after Emma was turned, that makes mention of the Queen. It speaks of her evils toward the Vampires - most notably her murder of Leopold, which Emma makes a mental note to question Snow or David about - and though it's obviously biased, every word speaks of the reasons Emma believes she should be dead right now.

So why isn't she?

*

"You let her _go_?" Ruby asks, pacing back and forth across Regina's room.

"And what would you have me do, kill her?" Regina asks, as if it wasn't obvious what Ruby would have done.

"You could have at least brought her here. Questioned her. Something!" Ruby crosses her arms across her chest and growls in exasperation.

"And have the two idiots and their army storm our territory?" Regina asks, draping Emma's cloak across the back of her chair before taking a seat. "She's better off back in Boston. Besides, she was tracking a Hunter, which means we've got bigger problems coming our way."

"So she told _you_ ," Ruby mumbles under her breath.

"While I normally appreciate your willingness to fight my battles, Miss Lucas, trust me when I say she's better off free. If she's anything like her sire, she'll be back, and we'll have a plan."

As much as Ruby hates to admit it, she knows Regina is right. "Fine," she huffs, giving in. "But if I see her when I'm on patrol, I make no promises."

Regina watches Ruby go and then rubs her temples in frustration. She is thankful the woman relented when she did, because truth be told, she really has no logical explanation for why she let Emma go. Sure, killing the princess would have done nothing but increase the vampire attacks, but Ruby was right. Kidnapping the woman would have at least hopefully gained them a bit more information on where the Vampires currently stand. She's tired of fighting, though, and even if taking the princess would have caused a little discord with the fairest Vampire and her simpering charming Prince, her heart is rarely in it anymore.

*

It takes Emma a few days to come up with a plan, but the night before they're set to go after Ruby and bring her back to the hotel, Emma pulls him aside to express her concerns. "I've got a bad feeling about this, Dad," she says, using the term only to play on his emotions. The smile he gives her tells her it's working. "They're going to be on high alert; I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Emma, we've been planning this for weeks. We can't afford to postpone it," David tells her.

"If we don't, then we stand to lose a lot more than we did to the Hunter. The other night..." Emma stops, catching herself. Other than her brief moment with Snow the next morning, she hasn't told David or Snow about her encounter with Regina.

"The other night what?" David asks.

Emma sighs, knowing she's about to catch hell for this. "The other night, when I was out tracking the Hunter alone, he was up in Maine and I was following him through the woods. I came across a wolf and I thought I could handle it, but... it was the fucking _Queen_."

"You did _what_? I thought we agreed you wouldn't track alone anymore!" His voice is gruff but not aggressive; he seems more worried than anything. "What happened?"

"We fought and she almost got the best of me, but she let me go."

"Is that where your cloak went?" He asks, even though Emma can tell he already knows the answer.

"Yeah. I mean... I know it was a stupid idea but I wanted to figure out where he was going. What he was up to! She knows I was after a Hunter, though, so they'll be on higher patrol."

"So Ruby will be easier to find," David says.

"Yeah, and she _won't_ be alone," Emma shoots back. "Look. Let me go tonight. Scout the land. I've been all over those woods now; I know where I can hide. I'll check out their perimeter, and if it doesn't look too bad, we'll go tomorrow. If not, we postpone."

David sighs and shifts his weight from foot to foot, obviously weighing the choices. "Your mother's not going to like this," he says.

"Then don't tell her," Emma says.

"Emma..."

"Look, you either let me go and verify we're safe, or we go and probably lose a few guys," Emma tells him. "You know I'll probably go even if you say no."

David sighs, giving Emma a disapproving look and she knows it's the closest thing to an okay that she's going to get.

 

*

The Hunter is out again. Emma finds his car parked near the edge of the forest and immediately sets out after him. She takes the same path she did last time and pauses in the small clearing where she and Regina had fought, trying to figure out which direction the Hunter had taken. She closes her eyes and focuses, hoping to hear the crunching of his boots through the leaves, but there's nothing. The scent of blood hits her nose after a moment and she follows it; it's definitely human and Emma wonders if the wolves have gotten to him.

She walks a little further but stops in her tracks when she hears a curious sound. She tilts her head, listening harder, and hears it again. It's a faint whimper, probably a mile or so away, and she knows it's a wolf. It's a stupid idea, using her powers the way she does to cross the distance in mere seconds, but the wolf's likely caught in a trap the Hunter set and can't get to her anyway. There's something else that tells her to go - a niggling in the back of her head she can't quite ignore - and she slows several yards away, just to be safe, but even in the pale moonlight, her vision allows her to see the wolf sprawled out on the forest floor. There's no trap that she can see, but the body is shaking underneath the cloak as she approaches slowly, trying her best to not make any sound. She knows the wolf has heard her because it struggles to sit up, turning its head to look in her direction.

"Just kill me, bloodsucker," the wolf says, coughing painfully as it speaks, and Emma immediately recognizes the voice.

"Regina," she gasps and then rushes to her side before she can even second guess herself. She places her hand on Regina's forearm and receives a deep growl for the action so she quickly jerks it back. "What happened to you?"

"As if you care," Regina spits back. Her head feels heavy as it spins and she lays back down, fingers blindly groping the forest floor. She finds what she's looking for and holds it up. "This."

Emma takes the offending item, instantly recognizing it as the handiwork of the Hunter she'd been after. It's a small dart - aluminum, if she recalls Archie's debriefing correctly, with a tiny glass vial in the center - and in the ones used to kill her fellow Trackers, the vial in the middle was filled with a concentrated dose of wolf venom. She briefly wonders what darts he is using on the wolfs.

"Colloidal Silver," Regina says slowly, filling in the blanks for Emma. She attempts to move and hisses in pain as the silver courses through her veins.

"Shit," Emma mutters. She recalls from the books that while a silver bullet could easily take out a wolf, exposure to silver - even liquid silver - in human form, was nothing more than a powerful, debilitating toxin that could take up to 48 hours to leave their system. It was not unlike wolf's venom for vampires - painful and easily affecting any ''powers'' they had, but not actually deadly.

"Where's he now?" Emma asks as she pushes the hood off Regina's head, revealing pale and sticky skin.

"Ruby's after him. Just get it over with," Regina demands, her eyes screwed shut in pain.

For a brief second, Emma contemplates doing exactly as Regina says. The wolf is clearly in pain and bringing down the Lycan Queen would be a huge success for the Vampires. Just as quickly as the thoughts come, they leave when she's reminded of the mercy Regina had shown to her just a few nights prior. She remembers Regina on top of her, hips pressing her own to the ground, hands wrapped around her throat and magic around her heart like a vice grip. Then she remembers all of the pressure gone - all of it - as Regina stood up and dusted herself off and told Emma to go. Surely she can return the favor.

Regina growls when Emma moves her legs and slides an arm underneath, intending to pick her up bridal style. "I said kill me, not move me, you idiot."

"I'm taking you home," Emma says shortly, rolling her eyes at the testy wolf.

Regina scoffs. "I won't talk. You might as well kill me now; nothing they do can be worse than this torture," she says to Emma through clenched teeth and Emma realizes Regina's struggling greatly to even remain conscious.

"Not my home," Emma says. "Your home. Now come on."

"You'd likely be killed the second you step on to the porch. My... _guards_ , as it were... they'll be able to smell you."

"Then surely they'd be able to smell you as well," Emma says, hoisting Regina up easily, though the sounds of pain coming from the wolf make her wince. "They'd kill me even with their Queen in my arms?"

"You've never met Granny with a crossbow. Wooden bolts, with a Holy Water vein," she says - though she's clearly delirious as it's more of a slur than anything - as Emma starts walking.

"Snow has silver tipped arrows," Emma says, and then, "You know that Holy Water thing is just a myth, right?" Emma's unsure of why she even says it. Feeding intel to the enemy isn't exactly the best move.

Regina grunts and then cracks an eye open to look at Emma. "But surely that whole... sonic speed thing or whatever isn't? Is there a reason you're walking instead of taking me home so I can at least be in pain in my own bed?"

_Right. That._ Emma remembers, wondering why it hadn't instantly come to mind when she picked the woman up. "Oh. I... uh... wasn't sure where _home_ was," she lies easily, knowing exactly where Regina's stronghold is.

"That way, dear," Regina says, holding out an arm weakly, pointing to the East. "About three miles."

Emma darts off and barely a minute later she's got Regina in front of her house. It's a rather large mansion and Emma almost laughs at the white picket fence and immaculate landscaping; a nice facade, considering the beasts inside. As they approach the door, Regina holds out a hand, waving it at the direction of the door knob. Her magic is as weak as the rest of her though, and only a thin wisp of purple smoke drifts from her fingers. Before Emma can register what is happening, she's face-to-face with a silver haired older woman and a razor sharp wooden crossbow bolt.

"Put her down, Vampire," the woman says, inching the bolt closer to Emma's chest.

"Whoa, okay lady, back off," Emma says, curling her lip and exposing her now extended fangs.

"Emma. Eugenia," Regina huffs out. "Enough. Let Emma take me to my room."

The old woman backs up but doesn't lower the crossbow and doesn't take her eyes off Emma as she steps forward and turns to make her way through the door. She pauses at the threshold and Regina's gives her a brief, curious look before saying, "Come in; I'm sorry."

Emma crosses into the home and her eyes roam her surroundings, taking in the decor. The house reminds her of something you'd see in the pages of an interior design magazine instead of something lived in. It's weird being inside the home, especially considering the amount of tactical planning she's sat in on that involved this very house, and she tries to not let her eyes roam too much as she makes her way through the foyer.

The house is a stark difference to the abandoned hotel she and several of the higher ranking Vampires live in; for one, the wolves don't have thick, heavy drapes hanging over every window. Emma envies it for a moment, she misses the sun on her skin from the days before the sun meant it felt like she was burning from the inside. Snow and David have been working on resolving that; finding a way for her to be a? daywalker, but it's been a long time coming. The closest they've gotten allowed her out for no more than 15 minutes and she supposes, given Vampire history, it's more than she could have ever hoped for.

"Upstairs, end of the hall," Regina says when she realizes Emma has stopped moving.

"Oh, uh, right," Emma says, trying to ignore the woman staring at her from the corner, finger still on the trigger of the bow. Emma nods her head in the direction of the woman and then looks back at Regina. "Am I going to make it out of here?"

The wolf attempts to laugh but sputters into a painful sounding cough and wheezes in a breath. Emma pauses on the stairs just to make sure she's okay. "Don't be ridiculous, Miss Swan. Eugenia's protective, but she won't kill you for bringing me home."

"That's not what you said - and certainly not what it felt like - back on the porch," Emma says, reaching out a hand from under Regina's legs to push open the door to the Queen's bedroom. "Not with that crossbow at my chest."

"I wasn't talking about Eugenia, dear. You have my word that you'll be fine," Regina says as Emma sets her down in bed and she doesn't miss Emma's scoff. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing," Emma says. "Just _your word_."

"I may hate your parents, _princess_ , but I'd still be struggling through the forest right now if not for you; I at least know how to be thankful for that."

Emma nods and steps back from the bed, shoving her fists in her jeans pockets awkwardly. "So, um, can I get you anything?" she stumbles out, unsure of what the protocol is for being Vampire "royalty" (honestly, the thought is still pretty hilarious to Emma) in the bedroom of Lycanthrope Queen.

"I think Eugenia can handle anything I may need."

"Alright, well, um..." Emma stutters, raising her hand in a half-salute, half-wave type gesture before heading for the door.

"Miss Swan," Regina says just as Emma turns the knob to leave. She turns around to find the woman struggling to hold herself up on her elbows. "Why'd you bring me back here?"

Emma wracks her brain for an answer, for any good reason she can come up with to excuse why she had risked her life to carry a weakened werewolf through enemy territory just to make sure she made it back safe, but she can't find one. She shrugs and asks, "Why didn't you kill me the other night when you had the chance?"

Regina arches an eyebrow, coy smile playing at her lips before collapsing back against the pillows. Emma shakes her head, knowing it's the best answer she's going to get. She latches the door quietly behind her and slowly makes her way down the stairs, dragging her fingers along the dark wood of the bannister as she does.

"I was tracking a Hunter," Emma tells the old woman sitting at the table at the bottom of the stairs, even though it's kind of a lie. She's been tracking him, but that wasn't really her plan for the evening. It just worked out that way. "He's killed several of us in the last few weeks, so I've been on his trail for a while. I heard Regina tonight and," she fishes the tiny metal capsule from the pocket of her leather jacket hidden under the cloak and lets it clack against the table as it falls.

"Graham," Granny mutters, glaring at the capsule.

"You know him?" Emma asks, suddenly wanting to know more. "I mean, I recognize the capsules so I know it's the same guy, but I don't know who he is."

"His kind," the wolf says roughly. "Comes from a family of hunters. Ruthless."

"Anything else?" Emma asks, but receives a glare in response. She puts up her hands in surrender and takes a step back. "Alright then."

"You may have saved Regina, but that doesn't make you our ally," she says.

"Okay," Emma says, drawing out the first syllable. Without thinking, she tacks on, "If Regina needs anything, she, uh... knows where she can find me."

Emma's actually not entirely sure if that's true, but she supposes that if Regina really wanted to, she could contact Emma. Not that Regina will want to, of course, now that their debts are settled. And not Emma wants her to, either. She wonders briefly about the frown gracing her own features and in the blink of an eye, she's rushing back to the old hotel she calls home.

*

David is waiting expectantly in the conference room when Emma returns. She strides in slowly and leans against the conference table, trying to come up with the best way to convince him to call off the hunt. She honestly has no real intel about the wolves at the moment, considering her encounter with Regina took up most of her time. Other than the Queen, she only knows of Ruby out patrolling. It wasn't like she could ask anyone without making it seem suspicious, and since the old wolf wouldn't even budge on details of the Hunter - Graham, she recalls - who was after _both_ sides, she doubts that would have gotten her anywhere anyway.

She assumes the wolves are smart enough to up their guard after their Queen was targeted by The Hunter, especially considering Regina would be down for the count for at least the next two days. There's also the matter of the Hunter, and considering their previous loss plus the fact that he's gutsy enough to go straight for the Queen, and that scares Emma enough to want to call the whole thing off.

Emma shakes her head slowly and David rises from his seat to stand on the opposite side of the conference table as her. "Why not? What'd you see?"

"Ruby's making rounds, which would make this whole thing easy, except for the fact that she has at least ten guys out on patrol as well," Emma lies, hoping it will help her cause. "Plus the Hunter is still out there."

Emma doesn't share how she came across this information; how she'd found the Lycan Queen laying on the forest floor and brought her home, and she certainly doesn't share the very few details the older wolf had given her about the Hunter.

"Damn it," David mutters, dropping a fist to the table and causing Emma to jump. "That's weeks of planning down the drain."

"It's not wasted," Emma says, hoping to draw him out of the anger she knows is coming. "We just have to postpone. Right now, we can take a break."

"A break? Emma this is a _war_."

"Yeah, a war that's been on for how many years? It's 75 now, right?" Emma asks and David nods in response. "How long has it been since the Lycans have attacked us?"

"Emma, it's not just about that," David reminds her.

Emma sighs and pushes a hand through her long blonde hair, catching it on a few tangles. "It is! The issue with this pack of wolves is _personal_ and _none_ of them have been attacking us. They've not even been retaliating," Emma reminds him.

"She killed your grandfather!" David insists.

"He was Snow's father, not my grandfather," Emma says.

"Emma..."

"David, my point is just that the only time we've been bothered by the wolves in months is when we've attacked first. I heard them talking and they're focused on the Hunter right now, just like we should have been when he was here. They don't want to lose their pack. So let's just take a few days, let everyone rest, and then we can get back to world domination or whatever we're fighting for."

"How will we know?"

"How will we know what?"

"When the Hunter is gone, they'll turn their focus back on us. How will we know?"

Emma considers this for a moment and with a shrug says, "I'll keep an eye on them. When their patrol starts to dwindle, I'll let you know."

"Emma," David says, his voice taking on that fatherly, protective tone it does every time she suggests an idea he doesn't like.

"David."

"Just be careful," he says, pulling her into a hug.

*

The next night, Emma goes back to Maine. She takes a car this time, hoping the drive will give her time to clear her head and sort out her conflicted emotions. She's never felt good about the war, but dealt with it out of a sense of duty for Snow and David saving her life. Her recent, albeit brief, interactions with Regina have caused her to start questioning the motivations behind the war, wondering if what she's read about and heard about is actually the full truth. She wonders briefly if she could get a less biased version from someone, but she remembers the old wolf's refusal to give her anything more than a name when it came to the Hunter and knows that there's no way the Wolves could have an unbiased account of events anyway.

As she approaches Lycan territory, she notices a rundown motel and it occurs to her that her previous search for Graham had been cut short by her first encounter with Regina. She knows full well that he's still in town, so she decides to forgo the woods, at least for the moment, to continue her search. She finds his car at the second place she checks, a no name motel off the side of a state route, and pulls in, parking her car in the shadows along the side of the building. As she tries to focus and listen for Graham, the sign flickers and buzzes above her, making it impossible, forcing her out of the car and down the sidewalk in front of the rooms, stopping at each one to listen. When she finally identifies his room, she makes her way back to the car to wait.

As she watches Graham's room, she lets her mind wander to the events of the past few days. Her knuckles have long since healed and the bruises around her neck were gone long before she even made it home, but when she closes her eyes, she can feel Regina's weight on top of her, strong fingers wrapped around her throat. She remembers a delirious Regina in her arms, weak and overheated, burning against Emma's cold skin. If Snow and David knew about her most recent interactions with Regina, they'd likely have a fit, complete with the sad eyes and hurt looks Snow has mastered so well. Regardless, she finds herself intrigued by Regina; drawn to her in ways she hasn't felt since she was human.

After almost two hours with no sign of movement from Graham, Emma finds herself speeding through the forest and outside the Queen's home, and in minutes, looking up at the window she knows leads to her room. She briefly considers knocking on the front door, but vividly remembers a crossbow pressed into her chest the night before and scales the side of house instead, balancing on the small patch of roofing outside the window. She can hear a steady heartbeat inside, and knows it's Regina. given the events of the night before, Regina should still be resting, so she knocks lightly, unsure if she'll answer.

Within seconds, the window is unlatched. "Miss Swan," Regina huffs out. She looks worse than the evening before, paler still and a thin sheen of sweat covers her skin. "What are you doing here?"

"I... wanted to check on you," Emma says, the words feeling foreign in her mouth even though they are completely honest. She hadn't known why she made her way to the house when she did, but the second Regina asks, the words spill out.

"As you can see, I'm doing just fine," Regina says, grimacing as she tries to adjust her body that's leaning heavily on the window frame.

"Regina," Emma says. "Is there anything I can do?"

"It will subside."

"Can you use your magic?" Emma asks, shifting a bit so as to lean closer to the wolf. She slips a little on the roof but catches herself on the edge of the frame.

Regina rolls her eyes and shoves the window up all the way. "For godsake come in before you fall to your death and your parents accuse me of another murder I didn't commit," Regina mutters, stepping away from the window.

Emma slips in the window easily and makes a mental note to ask (Later-- Much later) Regina what she meant by that statement. She looks over at Regina, who is back on the bed.

"To answer your question," she says, settling against the pillows. "I'm still too weak to use my magic."

"Can I?" Emma asks, jumping at the opportunity for some reason. "I mean... would magic even work?"

"You don't have to. I'll be fine in a day or so," Regina says. "Would you please sit down and stop pacing? You're making me dizzy."

"Sorry," Emma mumbles, looking around the room for a place to sit, finally deciding on the foot of the bed, sitting as close to the edge as possible. "Can I at least try?"

"If you insist."

Emma slides along the side of the bed until she's next to Regina's hips and then she twists, taking Regina's hands in her own before closing her eyes and focusing. "Talk me through it."

"You've never done this before?"

Emma cracks an eye open, peering down at the other woman guiltily. "Uh... no?"

Regina sighs and shakes her head, squeezing Emma's hands gently. "Healing is just like any other magic," she husks out. "Focus all your energy on what you want out of it."

Emma bites her bottom lip and squeezes Regina's hands back. She focuses her thoughts on Regina, thinks about seeing her in full health, and she feels the magic start flowing. Her eyes closed, she sees flashes of their fight; Regina in top form, Regina with her magic flowing, Regina on top of her, straddling her hips. She opens her eyes to see if it's working and gasps at the sight before her. Regina is laid out on the bed next to her, eyes closed, mouth hanging open in a perfect "o" and her skin glowing a pale blue with Emma's magic. She suddenly jerks awake, sitting up and panting hard, pressing a hand to her chest.

"Holy shit. I did it!" Emma exclaims, and then reconsiders, unsure if she was actually successful with the magic. "I did do it, right?"

Regina smiles and nods her head slightly as she tries to catch her breath. "Yes, dear, I believe you did."

Emma stares at her hands in amazement; healing is _definitely_ the coolest thing she's ever done with her magic. (But that's probably just because she hasn't tried teleportation yet.)

"Emma," Regina asks, pulling the woman from her thoughts. "Why did you come here tonight?"

"You already asked me that."

"I know, and I have my doubts that you actually answered me truthfully."

"What, do you have some sort of built-in lie detector? Honestly, I just ended up here. I guess I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"But why do you care so much, _princess_?"

"I don't know. Why haven't you called your watch dog up here with her crossbow?" Emma asks. "No pun intended."

"Do you always answer a question with a question?"

"Only when I don't know the answer."

"Very well. Do your parents know you're here?" Regina asks and Emma sighs.

"No. Can we not talk politics?"

"And what would they do," Regina starts, a wicked grin spreading across her face as she leans in closer to Emma. "If they knew you were here? In the bed of their most feared enemy."

"Well I guess you are feeling better if you're back to your snarky remarks," she says with a laugh, fighting the urge to remind Regina that Snow and David are not actually her parents.

"You did well tonight," Regina tells her.

"Thanks," Emma responds, unsure if she should pry and get some more tips on the magic or just let it be.

They sit in silence for a few long moments until Emma speaks again. "I should go," Emma says, avoiding looking at Regina. "I have to get back to Boston by sunrise."

"Very well. I guess we can't have you exploding into flames."

"Another myth," Emma says with a laugh.

"I'm quite aware," Regina says, eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Not that I'm sure you'd care anyway," Emma mutters under her breath as she stands up from the bed. She's not particularly sure that she should even mind if Regina does or not.

"Wolf hearing isn't a myth."

"Didn't think it was. I'd say I'll see you soon, but considering the circumstances of the last two times, I'd rather not," Emma says, with a smile. She feels a twinge of something she can't identify with the statement, something she sees reflected in Regina's eyes.

"Emma."

"Yes?" Emma asks, stopping as she's halfway out the window.

"Thank you."

"It's what I do," Emma says with a grin and then she's out the window.

*

"She was here again," Ruby says, frowning at her suddenly healed Queen. She can smell the stagnant, coagulated blood of the Vampires and knows there's only one that would dare set foot in their home.

"She was," Regina states. "She healed me."

"And you trusted her to?" Ruby asks, clearly skeptical.

"I showed her how."

"You taught her _magic_? Jesus Christ, Regina, what is going on with you? First you don't kill her and you tell it's for whatever power play reasons, but now she's spending all night in your bed and you're showing her magic?"

"She has magic," Regina says calmly. "It's elemental, like mine, but she didn't know how to heal. You've been hit by the silver. You know what it's like."

Ruby stares at her for a moment and then growls and stalks out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

David is waiting up for Emma when she returns from Regina's, much like he has been for the last two weeks. He anxiously awaits her report every night, just waiting for the chance to take Ruby out. Emma feels a little terrible that she's been lying to them the entire time, but it's the only way she can think to keep Regina - and everyone else - safe.

Emma doesn't even speak when she walks into the room, just shakes her head and drops into a seat, taking the glass he had waiting for her.

"It's been _two weeks_ , Emma," David says, as if Emma actually needs a reminder.

As if she needs a reminder of that every night for the last two weeks, she's ended up at Regina's house for one reason or another; making excuses to see the wolf. Going with Regina's general demeanor, Emma had thought the company was unwelcome at first, but several days after Emma had healed Regina, she asked why, if Regina had initially assumed Emma would be killed on the spot, no one was coming to kill her now. Regina had gracefully danced her way around the question, but as Emma was leaving that night, Regina admitted she'd put a ward on her room that blocked the wolves from smelling anything. It was then that Emma realized that not only was the company welcome, but also possibly encouraged.

"And it's still not safe."

"How long do you think this can wait?" He asks, his voice soothing even as his glowing eyes reflect danger. "If it's so unsafe, why are you not hurt? You're there for hours every night and you come back without a scratch on you. Your mother says she's never felt you in pain."

"There's a reason why I'm the best tracker you have, David. I know how to hide," she lies easily. "I'm guessing they're still out because they haven't caught the hunter yet; I still see his car at the hotel every night."

"And why haven't you caught him yet? All that time, you'd think he'd be a non-issue by now."

"He's not after us," Emma reminds him. "I was on a strictly recon mission, if you recall. What good would it have done me to be tranquilized and captured?"

David sighs and stands from his chair. "We go tomorrow," he says as steps out of the room, leaving no room for argument.

Emma drops her head to the table and wonders, not for the first time, why she doesn't have Regina's number. It's too late to make it to Maine and back before the sun rises and they'll go as soon as the sun sets the next evening. She just hopes she finds Ruby before anyone else.

*

Emma barely gets any sleep during the day. She tries for an hour or so, but when she closes her eyes, she sees Regina's face schooled to complete indifference with eyes glowing white hot with anger as she tortures Emma. Slowly. She gives up on sleep then and opts for trying to figure out a way to get out of this.

*

After an excruciatingly long meeting of the "war council" (Emma finds this to be a ridiculous and over the top name, but Snow and David are adamant they stick to tradition), they have a plan. At sunset, a small group of the Vampires will make their way to Maine and many of them will fan out to surround the woods around Regina. Six of them will make their way into the woods, making their way around what Emma's told them is Ruby's typical patrol area, hoping to close the circle in around her until she has nowhere else to go. It's a similar plan to their original one, except they're bringing five additional people as well as Snow and David.

What they don't know, however, is that they're not actually following Ruby's patrol area and Emma's planning of this strategy leaves a convenient gap at her back that Ruby can hopefully slip through before any of the Vampires get to her. It's not perfect, but it _is_ the best Emma can do so she crosses her fingers and hopes for the best.

*

The closer they get to Maine, the more Emma feels sick to her stomach. It's a strange and unfamiliar feeling, like something she remembers but yet doesn't quite know, and she tries to remember the last time anxiety ate away at her gut like this. She supposes it's a part of her human life, a learned response she can't quite quit, like when she breathes or sighs before she remembers her lungs have no actual use anymore.

Snow takes her hand and draws her out of her own head, smiling as she says, "We're all going to be okay. David will make sure of it."

Emma just smiles back and nods, hoping her plans will work.

*

As they all pile out of the van miles down the road, David refreshes everyone on the plan. "Remember, we want her alive," he says. "Killing her on their land will not help us out."

"Got it, boss," Leroy says, shouldering his axe. "Nothing wrong with a little damage though, right?"

"Just be careful. We want _everyone_ coming home with us."

"Let me go in first," Emma pipes up.

"Emma," Snow says, placing a hand on her arm.

"I'll make sure the Hunter is gone and they're on their normal patrol. Fifteen minutes, that's all I'm asking for. I'll make sure we can all get into position," she lies, hoping to buy herself some more time to find Ruby. She knows that she regularly patrols the woods, but she has no idea if she has a path she follows.

"And what if you're hurt?"

"You'll be able to tell, won't you?"

"I don't like this plan," Snow says.

"Neither do I," David agrees. "Let's at least get the guys on the perimeter and you can go inside."

"Okay," Emma says, nodding. At least that's _something_ and there will still be the open gap behind where her position should be; hopefully no one will be able to close that distance before Ruby escapes.

*

Finding Ruby turns out to be a lot easier than she had hoped. She quickly sweeps the parameter, but then makes her way inward, taking a chance on where she had found Regina after Graham's attack. She finds her there, but is quickly shoved to the ground with a crossbow pointed at her and a boot on her chest.

"What are you doing here, bloodsucker?" Ruby growls out.

"Helping you," Emma says calmly, holding her hands up in surrender. "I need you to listen to me."

"I know _Regina_ might fall for this, but that doesn't mean I'm going to," Ruby sneers, pressing the heel of her boot into Emma's sternum.

"Look, Ruby, I'm trying to _save_ you right now. I really need you to listen to me."

"Why would I believe you?"

_Because Regina would_ is on the tip of her tongue but she doesn't say it. Truth be told, she isn't 100 percent certain Regina would, but she hopes she would. "Because I'm telling the truth," Emma says. "I asked them to give me fifteen minutes to check out the land so I could try to find you first, but they wouldn't fully relent. They've got people surrounding the property, but my patrol is wider than anyone else's and I made sure there was a gap in the perimeter because of that. But you have to hurry before everyone else gets here."

"Why can't I just go back to the house?" Ruby questions, but Emma doesn't miss the way the foot pressed against her chest is a little lighter.

"Because they'll go there. They've got people sweeping in a circle, and they won't stop until they have you at least, but they'll take anyone else they can. You've got to run. Hide wherever you can and I'll come back and let Regina know when it's safe to come back."

"And if I don't?"

"To be honest, I don't know their plans. They're not going to kill you, but you might wish you were dead. Their interrogation tactics are not the best and they're targeting you because you are Regina's right hand."

"Shit," Ruby mutters, tilting her head to one side, and Emma doesn't need wolf hearing to know that everyone is close. They're probably approaching the fifteen minute mark that Emma had been promised, so they've really got to hurry.

"Go," Emma urges, sliding out from under Ruby's boot and standing up. "The hole I left should be directly south of the house. Make your way through there and once you're out of the forest, I need you to hide. I'll come back and let Regina know where you are."

"I have my phone," Ruby says. "I'll call her."

"Fine. Then I'll come back and let her know when it's safe for you to leave. But you need to come after me first. Make it look real."

Ruby hesitates for a minute, clearly weighing her options. " _Now_ ," Emma says, because she can hear and feel everyone else moving towards their place. She braces her body for the impact, unsure of how Ruby will attack

Ruby growls and launches for Emma, tackling her to the ground. A punch lands square on her jaw and Emma can feel the bones crack and then shift back into place almost instantly. It's the pain in her side that has her biting down on her lip to keep from crying out. Ruby's claws have ripped at her side, through layers of clothing and the flesh covering her ribs.

"Go," she chokes out, trying to block the pain of the venom coursing through her body.

Ruby stands, her posture going rigid and growing, and Emma realizes she's forcing the change into the wolf so she can get away faster.

"No," Emma warns, panting through the pain. "They have silver tipped arrows. They'll kill you!"

Panic flashes in Ruby's eyes and then she's off. When Emma can no longer hear her movement, she lets out a painful scream as she gets to her feet, clutching her injured ribs as she stands. David and Snow are at her side immediately.

"Emma what happened?" Snow asks, ducking down to touch the gashes in Emma's side. "Did she get you?"

Emma just nods, not trusting herself to speak. A piercing screech, almost a cross between a scream and a howl sounds out and Emma realizes her plan has failed.

"They've got her," David says, a smile on his face.

Emma doubles over, coughing up blood, and she's not sure if it's from the pain, the venom, disgust at the turn of events, or a combination of all three.

"Let's get you back to Boston," Snow says, a tentative hand on Emma's back.

"Let's go," David tells her, and then she's being picked up in David's arms just as they start off toward the can. It's a quick, but not quite painless, and before she knows it, David's laying her down in the back of the van, careful not to injure her further.

The back doors of the can open and while she's only feet from the cage they had brought for Ruby, there's a black curtain covering it, blocking it from her view. She hears the shackles latching and Ruby's whimpering and grits her teeth, angry with herself for her failed plan and angry with everyone else for being okay with this.

Once they're on their way back to Boston, the sounds of the road are loud enough to hopefully drown her out to everyone's ears but Ruby's. "I'm sorry," she whispers before closing her eyes, intent on sleeping for the rest of the trip.

*

She wakes up again as Leroy is laying her down in her bed.

"David's helping them get the wolf in," Snow tells her. "Stay here. I'll send Archie up when we're done with Ruby and he can clean up those wounds. Maybe he'll have an idea on how to make this less painful."

"Okay," Emma says, her eyes slipping closed as they make their way back out of the room. She places her hand upon her injured side and draws out her magic, trying to focus on healing the injuries but coming up empty handed. She hears Regina's words echoing in her ears, but she can't seem to focus on the task at hand, her thoughts swirling about Ruby and Regina and how she plans to get out of this mess and keep everyone happy.

She hurts like hell - damn if Ruby didn't do a little more damage than necessary - but she isn't delirious like Regina had been, and all she can think about is going to the other woman and trying to explain this to her. She knows it's not going to be easy, but she's hoping for a miracle. She'll need a bigger one to even get out of the hotel.

*

After an hour and no sign of Archie, Emma realizes that everyone is still distracted with Ruby's presence and knows it's her best chance to slip out unnoticed. As she slowly makes her way out the front doors, she's only got one thing on her mind: _Regina_.

(And maybe a way to get Ruby out.)

*

Emma stops just outside the woods leading to Regina's, mentally preparing herself for the conversation she's about to have. She knows it won't be easy, but the worst part is she has no idea how Regina is going to react so she doesn't know how to approach it. Steeling her resolve, she heads for Regina's. When she arrives, she slips in Regina's open window and behind the spell keeping the rest of the wolves at Regina's manor from identifying Emma's presence. The second she is on the floor, however, she's shoved up against the wall.

"You have the audacity to come back here, into my territory, after this?" Regina growls out, eyes glowing an eerie honey brown.

"Regina, I..." Emma starts and she steps forward but is swiftly cut off by Regina pinning her to the wall by her neck. She feels an odd sort of nostalgia from their first encounter, but she knows now is not the time to reminisce.

"Is that what this has been about?" Regina growls, her grip tightening around around Emma's neck, but this time there's no magic. "You tell me you want to check on me, you show up for weeks at my window just to get me to trust you, and then you do _this_?"

"Shit, Regina, no," Emma says clawing at the hand around her neck. "Seriously. Just let me explain."

"Talk."

"Can you at least put me down?"

"Talk," Regina grinds out, pressing Emma further against the wall. "Then I'll decide if I kill you or not."

"Fine," Emma grunts out. "Meeting you the first night in the woods was completely by accident. I _was_ tracking Graham, which you found out a few days later. Yes, there was a plan to kidnap Ruby and I was there the night Graham tagged you to tell David what your patrol looked like so we could make it happen."

"So I was right," Regina says, her fingers tightening again and _fuck_ she is strong.

"No! I got there that night and you were on the ground and I don't know, Regina, my first thought was to take you home. When I got back to Boston, I told David we couldn't go through with it. I made up some story about how many wolves you had on patrol to make him back down. That's what I was doing in Maine the next night. I told David I'd keep coming back until your patrol was down, but then I found myself at your house..."

"So you healed me just so you could try to kill me? Why didn't you just do it when I couldn't fight back?"

"Jesus, no. Just listen to me for Christ's sake. I was just supposed to be in the woods that night, but I ended up outside your window because I wanted to see _you_. I ended up outside your window for the next two _weeks_ because I wanted to see you. I did everything I could to stop this from going forward. I stalled as much as I could, told them you had too many people out, that Graham was still here, but Snow and David got tired of it and sent us anyway. I took lead so I could warn Ruby. Seriously. Look at my ribs," Emma explains.

Unable to move her head to look down, she runs her fingers over the shredded remains of her red leather jacket, hissing as she lifts it and her shirt up over the wounds. "I told her the short version of what was going on and told her to hit me before she ran. She got me with her claws; it's the only reason they would have accepted for not chasing after her."

"And how am I supposed to believe that she didn't do that to fight you to get away?"

"Why would I have come back?" Emma asks sincerely, silently pleading with Regina. "The second they were all distracted with Ruby, I left and came back here. I didn't even get a chance to bandage these. I need you to help me get her out."

"Should I not think this to be a trap? Something to lure me on to your territory so they can imprison me the way they've done with Ruby? Why would _you_ want her out?"

"Because she doesn't deserve it!" Emma shouts, her eyes shifting to their brilliant green with the rage. "Because I'm sick and fucking tired of this pointless war over what's probably just a fucking misunderstanding. Because it's stupid that I have to make up reasons to come see you."

Regina's grip loosens around her neck and Emma sags against the wall.

"Why didn't you heal yourself?"

"I can't," Emma tells her.

"You healed me," Regina says.

"You know healing yourself is different," Emma says with a shrug. "I tried to focus but my thoughts were everywhere. And anyway, you helped. Our magic..."

Regina takes Emma's hand, locking their fingers together. "This is your last chance," Regina says fiercely. "If you're lying to me, you're going to _wish_ I'd just let Eugenia shoot you."

"Regina," Emma says, blinking back the rage so her eyes were in her normal state as she started at Regina, hoping she could see the honesty in her eyes. "I just want an end to this."

"Then we have similar goals, princess," Regina says, closing her eyes and letting her magic flow.

Emma gasps when she feels Regina's magic inside her again, this time much lighter than when they fought. The first wisps fight against her muscles and she feels the skin start to stitch back together, slower, but much like it does when her own healing is not compromised by the wolf's venom. It feels not unlike how she remembers a limb "falling asleep" when she was human, with tiny needle pricks under her skin, except it feels decidedly pleasant. She forces her eyes open, studying Regina's face as she focuses on healing Emma's wounds.

Emma's skin glows a light purple as the magic rushes through her veins, the area around the wounds bright enough to illuminate the darkened room. It's a strange sensation to be on the receiving end of, but it's definitely not unpleasant. When the wound is nearly healed, Regina's hands release hers and move to her abdomen, fingers brushing over the remnants of the wounds. Emma shudders and bites her bottom lip, eyes slipping closed as she tries to fight her body's reactions to Regina's touch.

"Looks like you're back to normal," Regina says, voice an octave lower than Emma remembers. She doesn't remove her hands, though, and her fingers trace over where the scars should be, trampling on Emma's already shot nerves.

"Yeah," Emma breathes out, voice shaking on the one word. She opens her eyes slowly and with a sudden burst of confidence, surges forward and presses her lips to Regina's, gripping Regina by the back of the neck and tangling her fingers in Regina's hair. Their mouths move against each other's urgently, teeth clicking against each other as Emma slips her tongue into Regina's mouth. Regina moans deep in her throat and tugs Emma by the collar of her shirt, pulling Emma down on top of her. Emma scrambles to straddle Regina's hips and moves her mouth from Regina's down to her neck, kissing and nipping along sensitive skin. She feels Regina's pulse throb beneath her lips and her fangs instantly click out, drawing Emma out of the moment.

"Fuck," she pants, pulling back from Regina. She closes her eyes and takes a moment to calm herself. When she feels them slide back in, she opens her eyes and the sight she sees below her makes her

Regina is panting, eyes half closed, and hair splayed out across the floor.

Emma stands, reaching out her hand for Regina who takes it and allows herself to be pulled up. Emma connects their mouths instantly, shoving Regina up against the wall, their bodies pressed tightly from head to toe. The position doesn't last long as Regina flips them, throwing Emma against the wall with such force that if she had any air in her lungs, it would have been quickly knocked out. She slips her leg between Emma's and Emma moans as it comes into contact with her center.

"Bed," Emma pleads even as she untucks Emma's shirt and begins unbuttoning it. "I want you."

Regina guides them across the room, fumbling the entire way as they both try to undress the other as they make their way to the bed.

Emma feels her knees hit the bed and then she's pushed back, Regina crawling up her body. Her bare skin is warm against Emma's own and Emma bites back a moan, unable to stop herself from rolling her hips up, in desperate search of contact.

"This can't happen again," Regina says, even as she brushes her teeth against Emma's neck, taking caution not to break the skin.

"Okay," Emma says and bites at the corner of Regina's mouth and then flips them over, pinning Regina's body down with her hips. "Okay."

"Off," Regina demands, jerking the tattered remains of Emma's jacket down her shoulders. Emma pulls back to remove it and takes her shirt off as well, dropping them both to the side of the bed and reveling in the growl she not only hears but feels rumbling through Regina's body.

Regina sits up quickly, her mouth instantly making its way across the newly exposed skin. Emma moans and tangles her fingers roughly in Regina's hair, tugging her head back and crushing their lips together once more. She tries to block the voice in her head out telling her the million reasons she shouldn't be doing this and instead listens to the one telling her how right this feels.

"Fuck," Emma pants, pulling back when she once again feels her fangs click out.

"Excited?" Regina teases as she moves her mouth across Emma's chest, kissing a path along the edge of her bra before flicking the clasp open with one hand and pulling it off as well.

"Your fault," Emma pants when Regina's tongue darts out to circle her nipple before drawing it in her mouth and sucking on it.

Regina _hmmm_ s and pulls back, dragging her teeth along the sensitive skin as she releases it and focuses on the other.

"So... fucking... hot," Emma manages, her head thrown back and eyes half-lidded with pleasure. It doesn't escape her thoughts that if Regina uses just _that much_ more pressure, there will be wolf venom in her veins for the second time that night. " _Please_."

"Please what, Miss Swan?"

"Fuck me," Emma says, finally focusing enough to push Regina back onto the bed. "I want your mouth on me. Your fingers inside me. I don't care," she growls. "I just want you to make me come."


	3. Chapter 3

The second Emma steps into the hotel, Snow rushes to her side.

"I've been worried sick about you! Where have you been?" She asks, eyes frantic with worry as she scans over Emma's body. "You're... you're healed."

"I, uh... I've been studying," Emma covers. It's not a lie, really - she _has_ healed before - and she's thankful that the rapid healing has at least covered the bites and scratches Regina left just hours ago.

"I'm glad you're back," Snow says, hugging her. "Let's get you some blood just in case."

*

It's afternoon before Emma can attempt to sneak her way into the basement where Ruby's being kept. Most everyone in the hotel is asleep so Emma manages to make it down unnoticed, thankful Snow and David hadn't stuck a guard on her around the clock. When she arrives at the cage, she understands why. Ruby is locked in the enchanted cuffs that Gold provided, leather bands that weaken any sort of magic in the wearer and can only be removed by the one who put them on.  

"Get away from me," Ruby growls at Emma when she approaches the cell, but the threat is empty through the bars and considering the fact that Ruby can barely move.

"Ruby, I'm so sorry," Emma says, wincing as she takes in all the cuts and bruises on Ruby's pale skin.

"Whatever. Like this isn't exactly what you wanted."

"It wasn't," Emma says honestly. "I was trying to get you out of there. Regina and I... we're working together. We're going to get you out of here."

"She still trusts you, huh?" Ruby scoffs.

"Ruby," Emma sighs and scratches the back of her neck awkwardly. "I know you don't want to trust me, but I'm not going to stop trying to get you out of here. Come here."

Ruby glares at Emma but doesn't move, so Emma steps closer to the bars and sticks her arms through.

"I want to heal you," Emma offers, calling up her magic and letting it crackle under the tips of her fingers.

"Even if I let you touch me, wouldn't it be obvious?" Ruby asks. "Suddenly the nearly incapacitated Werewolf prisoner is back at full health?"

Emma shrugs. "It's not like we know everything about you guys. Maybe you have healing abilities too," she says, moving her hand to the lock and unlocking it. "I'm gonna come in, okay?"

Ruby grunts but Emma can't quite tell if it's in protest or agreement. She places her hands on Ruby's shoulders and recalls Regina's words again; they didn't work for healing herself, but she knows that's a much more complicated process and is pleased when she starts seeing the marks fade from Ruby's skin.

The bruises go first, fading from black and blue to an angry yellow-green before disappearing entirely. Next are the cuts, stitching themselves back up so Ruby doesn't even have a scar, and then finally the bones that were cracked and broken fuse back together.

"Wow," Ruby gasps when Emma pulls her hand back. She takes in huge lungfuls of air, eyes wide. "That was insane."

Emma frowns, wondering if this is the first time that Ruby's ever been healed. It seems unlikely, given her relationship with Regina, but she certainly seems surprised. Instead she just smiles and shrugs.

"Look, I've got to go. But I'll be back."

"Sure."

"I will," Emma says, stepping out of the cell and locking it once more. "Now that I've got an idea of what we're working with, Regina and I can figure this out. Just a few days. I promise."

*

That evening, before she leaves for Regina's, Emma overhears Snow in the room next to hers, talking heatedly about Ruby's sudden recovery.

"Why is she suddenly okay?"

"I don't know," David says, using his fatherly, pacifying voice to calm Snow down. "We'll figure it out."

"She's not even injured, David! Nothing. Not a scratch."

"What did she say when you asked her about it?"

"All she said was _try harder_ ," Snow scoffs.

"What about the synthetic Vampire venom Archie has been working on?"

"Try the silver nitrate first," Snow says, and Emma screws her eyes shut and makes her way out the front door. When she's out on the street, she clutches at her chest, feeling the disgust bubble up at how stoic Snow had sounded.

They _have_ to get her out of there.

*

There is no small talk when Emma gets to Regina's, but there's also no slamming of Emma up against the wall with magic, so Emma takes it as progress.

"What are we working with?" Regina asks.

"Enchanted cuffs," Emma says. "Gold made them. They're supposed to dampen the magic in anyone wearing them, which means that they keep the wearer from shifting into another form and remove any sort of superhuman strengths."

"Let me guess... they can only be taken off by the person who put them on?"

Emma nods.

"And you have no idea who put them on?" Regina continues.

"Sorry, I was mildly incapacitated when they first brought her back," Emma bites back sarcastically.

"It's okay," Regina says, and it's reassuring even if her tone isn't. "It just would have been a lot easier if we knew."

"There are no guards, though."

Regina snorts derisively. "Of course not."

"It works in our favor!" Emma defends.

"I know, dear."

"I healed her today."

"Yes?" Regina asks, arching an eyebrow. "On your own?"

Emma nods. "They tortured her last night," she says quietly, eyes on the floor. "She had all these cuts and bruises, a few broken bones; I could barely look at her."

"And what did mommy and daddy have to say when they realized she was all healed up?"

"Snow's pissed," Emma says with a shrug. "But we've got to get her out of there. She wants to start on the silver nitrate tonight."

Regina's mouth forms into a thin line and she hisses through her teeth. Emma nods, and reaches out for her arm, only to quickly withdraw it. When Regina looks up, there are tears in her eyes. "Do you think they'll kill her?"

"No," Emma says forcefully. "They want information. If they wanted her dead, she'd already be dead."

"Keep healing her?" Regina asks after a moment. "Make sure she stays alive long enough for me to save her?"

"Us."

"What?"

"For us to save her," Emma says. "I'm not letting you do this alone."

"Emma, you don't..."

"No, I do. I tried to stop this and couldn't."

"We'll fix it."

"How?"

*

As it turns out, Regina's answers come in the form of books. Her personal library is much like the one in the hotel she lives in, except more expansive. It includes many works by non-biased sources and a lot more on magic, which Emma is thankful for. The general idea for escape is that Emma will aid Regina in teleporting to the hotel, but in order to get Ruby out and back to normal, they need to a spell to counteract the enchanted cuffs.

After hours of tossing terrible ideas back and forth, Emma comes across one in an ancient text labeled _MAGICK_ _AND OTHER DARK ARTS_ in gold lettering.

"Does it work on vampires?" Emma asks, pointing at a crude drawing in an ancient text. "The heart thing?"

"Controlling them?" Regina asks and Emma nods. "I've never tried."

"The book seems to imply it could," Emma offers as she reads on. " _Hearts belonging to the dead hold no power, but those of the immortal beings may be able to be manipulated_."

Regina moves behind Emma in a fluid motion, leaning over Emma's shoulder to read over the entry. She _hmm_ s near Emma's ear, causing a shiver to run down Emma's spine. The other woman is so close that all she can think of is their night together and all it's doing is serving to distract her from the task at hand.

"What would you suggest?" Regina asks, remaining leaning on the desk but turning to look at Emma.

"Huh... wha? Oh. I guess we could take the heart of one of the guards and make him tell us who put the shackles on Ruby."

"And if we get one that is unaware?"

"He'll be aware," Emma reassures.

"And if this text is wrong?"

"Well..." Emma opens and closes her mouth, the words stuck in her throat. " _Iguessyoucouldtrytakingmyheart_."

"What was that, dear?" Regina asks.

Emma's pretty sure Regina heard her and is only making her repeat it for the sake of embarrassing her, but she repeats herself anyway.

"I said that... I guess you could try taking my heart," Emma offers, scratching at the back of her neck awkwardly as she takes an intense fascination with the floor.

"Emma..."

It's stupid, Emma _knows_ it's stupid, because just weeks ago, this woman was trying to kill her and now she's volunteering to have her heart removed by her very hands. It's different now, though -   _everything_ is different now - and while Emma feels conflicted about her feelings for her sire and David, she also knows that saving Ruby is the right choice. They may no longer be human, but decency is what everyone deserves.

"Try it," Emma says, standing and inserting herself in Regina's personal space. She reaches out and links her fingers with Regina's, tugging them upward and placing their joined hands on her chest. When Regina tries to pull her hand back, Emma presses it harder against her chest. " _Try it_."

They stare at each other for a long moment and Emma is thankful that her anxiety no longer manifests itself in the form of sweaty palms. She bites her bottom lip to calm her nerves as she focuses on Regina, their gazes never shifting.

"Are you sure?" Regina asks, the waver in her voice indicating that she isn't so sure herself.

Emma nods, despite not being sure at all. "Have you ever... has someone ever done this to you?"

"A long time ago," Regina says, her gaze dropping to her hand against Emma's chest. She drags her thumb along the edge of Emma's v-neck and Emma shivers at the contact.  "It's not terrible, but it's not pleasant. It feels like a vice around your heart, even without any pressure. When she does squeeze though..."

Emma doesn't miss the pronoun, but she doesn't push, just tries to get Regina back in the moment. "Do you think it will change for me? Since my heart doesn't beat anymore?"

"I don't know," Regina says honestly.

After a beat, Emma speaks again. "Try it."

Emma feels the jolt of energy through her body and looks down to see Regina's magic glowing purple under her skin. Regina's hand presses into her chest and then sinks forward like a less sharp prick of a needle. She gasps when she feels Regina's fingers wrap around her heart, unaware she could even still feel it. Regina looks at her questioningly and Emma nods her consent.

"Keep going."

There's an audible _pop_ when Regina pulls her heart from her chest and then there it is, red and glowing in Regina's palm. Regina cradles it gently, her fingers using just enough pressure to keep from dropping it. Emma stares at it, amazed at the sight before her. She had assumed, given the lack of organ function, that it would be dry and shriveled; completely useless. She glances up and sees the wonder reflected back at her in Regina's face.

"I don't feel it," Emma says, pressing her own hand against her chest where her heart should be.

"Nothing?"

Emma shakes her head. "Squeeze it."

Regina closes her fingers tighter. "Now?"

Emma clutches at her chest in pain, nodding furiously and Regina stops squeezing instantly. "Okay, that. That hurts," Emma gasps out when the pain subsides.

"Sorry," Regina says, still staring at the heart. "I didn't think it would actually work."

"Should we..."

"The controlling part. Yes," Regina says, but doesn't move

"Tell me to do something," Emma says after a moment. It's unnerving, watching her heart in Regina's hands, wondering if crushing it would kill her the way it would a human. It's risky, giving Regina so much power over her, and Emma briefly wonders how many hearts Regina has held in her hands.

"Like what?" Regina asks.

"Dunno." Emma shrugs, keeping her eyes on the ground so she doesn't have to focus on Regina's hands. (Or more importantly, what's in them.) "Something I wouldn't normally do, I guess."

Regina doesn't move or speak a word, so Emma looks up to find her frozen in the same position. She's unsure of what is keeping her stalled, but wonders for a moment if maybe she pushed too far.

"Regina?" Emma ventures, taking a step closer.

"I'm thinking, Miss Swan!" Regina snaps and Emma shrinks back a bit. She certainly doesn't need Regina to accidentally crush her heart.  


Regina sighs, staring at Emma's heart in her hands. It's a simple task, really; once the heart is in her hands, it's a matter of speaking with intent and then her will is done. She's done this hundreds of times before, but there's something infinitely more intimate and vulnerable about someone _willingly_ letting her take their heart and it clouds her mind. She runs through scenario after scenario in her head, searching for something that will clearly resolve their question yet avoid any potential ill psychological effects. Settling on something mundane, she turns her back to Emma and whispers to the heart.

*

Emma panics a little when she sees Regina turn around, unsure of what the woman will do, but then she instantly regrets her distrust. Regina had spared her life (saved it once, too, if the showdown with Eugenia counted) and healed her more than once, but her inherent distrust for people, plus her years with Snow's hatred for the werewolves, are hard habits to kick.

_It's just a test,_ she tells herself. _Hearing Regina's intentions kind of invalidates the test._

She notices Regina turn back around, lips set into a thin line, almost emotionless, except for the uneasiness Emma could see in her eyes. She feels a dull ache in her chest where her heart should be - different than when Regina had squeezed the heart - and then she's moving across the room without even thinking of it. She steps closer and closer to Regina, who in turn steps backward until she's pressed against the wall, Emma's heart still resting delicately in her hands. Without commanding it, Emma's hand reaches up and wraps around Regina's neck, fingers squeezing tightly.

Emma's aware enough to see this as a mirror of their first meeting, but not aware enough to register any sort of emotion behind her actions. Even as she sees the fear in Regina's eyes, her face remains stoic and her muscles move of her own accord squeezing tighter until Regina lifts her hands and says, "Enough."

Emma's hands instantly release their grip and the dull ache ceases as she takes several steps back.

"Holy shit," Emma says, half in awe and half terrified of the loss of agency in her own actions. She recalls feeling Regina's pulse racing wildly in her grip and rubs the tips of her fingers, as though she can still feel the fluttering. It's strange, not feeling the bloodlust, but Emma supposes that has something to do with the wolf venom she knows to be in Regina's blood.

"It worked," Regina states quietly.

"Are you okay?" Emma asks, moving close again. Regina doesn't flinch, so Emma takes that as a good sign and takes one more step closer.

"Yes," Regina rasps out, voice ever so slightly hoarse from Emma's grip. She uses her free hand to take Emma's, tugging her over and positioning the heart in front of Emma's chest. "Ready?"

Emma nods, not taking her eyes off Regina. There's a slight pressure against her chest as Regina pushes her heart through, and her hand stalls for just a second after it's back in place. When she slips her hand back out, she rests it against Emma's chest and takes a deep breath.

"Don't ever do that again," Emma whispers and Regina nods. "You could have had me do something else.

"I'm aware," Regina says, her thumb brushing over the bit of exposed skin on Emma's chest.

Emma lets her eyes slip close at the sensation, which seems to urge Regina's exploration because then there are fingernails lightly scratching across her clavicle.

"Regina," Emma says, opening her eyes.

"I know," Regina replies, not looking away.

"You said..."

"I know. You did too."

"I know."

They stand there in silence, not moving.

"Emma," Regina urges, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Emma whispers and then she's surging forward, fingers wrapping around the back of Regina's neck and pulling her into a bruising kiss.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Regina pants against Emma's mouth when she pulls away, trailing her mouth down Emma's neck.

"I know," Emma responds, tilting her head back to allow Regina more access. She feels the sharp scrape of Regina's teeth against her neck and her entire body tenses; with just the slightest increase in pressure, there would be wolf venom coursing through her veins. Her fingers tangle in Regina's hair and then she's the one pressing her teeth to the smooth expanse of Regina's neck.

She feels Regina's pulse thud wildly beneath her mouth and she scrapes her teeth against the skin, sucking it into her mouth. When she pulls back to admire the angry red mark she left behind, her fangs click out and she bites down again, pushing and dragging against Regina's skin but not hard enough to break the skin. Regina's hips roll into her own and she pushes back roughly, the contact causing her to moan against Regina's neck.

"Emma," Regina gasps, tugging at the hem of Emma's shirt.

"We can't," Emma says, cursing herself as she pulls back.

"I know," Regina says, her hands going back to Emma's hips and sliding across her slightly rippled abs as she pushes the shirt up.

Emma bites her lip, her eyes slipping closed as she feels Regina's warm fingers on her skin. "No, really this time," Emma grits out. "Ruby. I have to get back and heal her. And it's almost sunrise."

*

"Hey," Emma whispers when she approaches the cage. It's just past sun up so the rest of the house is asleep, but she can't be too careful.

Ruby shifts and stirs, hissing in pain when she sits up from the thin mattress on the concrete slab and slowly makes her way over to the bars. Emma winces when she sees the damage - mostly bruises and cuts, but it's also obvious that they did use the silver nitrate while she was away. Ruby is pale, her hair plastered to her face with sweat and teeth chattering. She pulls the scratchy red wool blanket around her body and tightly secures it against her chest with a fist.

"Sorry about that," Emma says when she notices the welt on Ruby's hand, obviously the injection site for the nitrate.

"S'okay," Ruby says, her voice nothing but a slurred whisper.

"It's not," Emma tells, slipping her hands through the bars to touch Ruby. She focuses her energy on healing Ruby and once she feels the magic pouring out of her, she says, "Regina and I have a plan."

"Yeah?" Ruby grunts out.

"Yeah."

Emma spends the next twenty minutes checking over her shoulder as she whispers to Ruby about the plans she's developed with Regina in order to break her out. It still needs a little fine tuning, but with any luck, they should have a solid plan in a few days. While she talks, she shifts them so they're sitting on the ground. She leans against the bars, feeling lightheaded from the drain of the magic. She tells herself it's just that she's distracted, trying not to get caught, and it has nothing to do with how broken Ruby is. She feels her eyes drift shut, but then Ruby's voice, stronger now, snaps her back to attention.

"How are you gonna do it?"

"Huh?"

"Get Regina in," Ruby clarifies. "Didn't you say the building is enchanted? And it's not like she can just walk in; they'll smell her, won't they?"

Emma nods. "That's something we're working on tonight. Just a few more days, Ruby. I promise we'll have you out of here."

"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep."

  
"I intend to keep all my promises. Getting you - and Regina, when she's here - out of here safely is my number one priority."  


"Why are you helping us?"

Emma shrugs. "Regina helped me."

"That was different, she..."

"No, it's not. I think this war is stupid and pointless," Emma tells her. "It started before I was turned, so I wasn't really here to witness anything, and god knows our history books are biased."

Ruby nods. "I'm sure ours are too."

"Hey! I just thought of something. You might be able to help us work this out faster," Emma says, jumping to her feet. She immediately grabs the bars to steady herself, dizzy from both the action and the amount of magic the healing took. She feels not unlike she remembers hangovers feeling when she was a human and makes a mental note to ask Regina about that later.

"What's that?"

"When they put the cuffs on, were you conscious?" Emma asks.

"Mostly. I saw the guy who did it, if that's what you're asking."

"Yes! What did he look like?"

Once Ruby describes Mulan holding her down, Emma instantly knows it was Phillip who put the cuffs on.

"That's good," Emma interrupts, smiling. "His room is right next to mine, we'll be able to do this easy."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asks.

"I promise. We need a few more days so I can check the schedule of who will be on duty watching you, but we will get you out of here. I promise."

*

"Emma?" Snow calls out just as Emma reaches the threshold of the hotel.

She huffs and turns around, hoping this will be quick so she can get to Regina and they can continue to work on their plan to get Ruby free. "Yes?"

"Where are you going tonight?"

"I just need to clear my head," she lies easily.

"You're not going _there_ again are you?" Snow asks. At the look on Emma's face she sighs and moves forward to cup her cheek. "I just don't think it's safe."

"I'm fine," Emma insists.

"Regina is probably out hunting for her wolf and she'll do anything to get her back, you know that."

"That's why she hasn't come looking yet?" Emma mutters under her breath, knowing Snow hears her anyway.

"She's probably plotting something as we speak." Emma scoffs and ignores Snow's disapproving look. "The older wolves aren't as susceptible to the silver; she keeps healing no matter how much we pump into her. It's not safe out there, Emma."

"I'll be fine," Emma insists, walking out the door before Snow can protest further.

*

It takes two days for Emma to work out the guard schedule and another to teach Regina the layout of the hotel so she can teleport straight to Emma's room. On the fourth day, Emma explains all the details of the plan to Ruby, who smiles and actually hugs Emma when she hears. It's a surprising move, one Emma responds to with a stiff spine and awkward arms wrapped around her shoulders before retreating up to her room. She already knows it's going to be a long day.

*

Emma manages to get some sleep during the day, but it's a fitful rest. She's nervous about the evening; if their plan goes wrong, she knows that all hell will break loose. When she finally decides she can't sleep anymore, it's nearly 7 pm, just an hour before Regina should be calling to set their plan in action. She gets up and walks the hotel, quietly sneaking down the halls to avoid waking anyone up.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket and she pulls it out, fumbling with it an juggling to keep it from clattering to the ground. She finally gets a good grip on it and sees the text is from Regina.

_I'll be there in 10. We're still doing this, right?_

_yes_

Emma quickly texts back, heading back to her room in order to call Regina and reiterate the layout. The last thing Emma needs is for Regina to come into the wrong place and end up in locked up with Ruby. After a quick description, the line goes dead and Emma stares at her phone, startled when there's suddenly a poof of purple smoke and Regina standing in front of her.

"The slackjawed look isn't a good one on you, Miss Swan."

Emma shakes her head and chuckles. "Sorry. So when are you going to teach me that one?"

"All in good time, my dear."

Emma steps forward to wrap her arms around Regina, but is startled by a knock at the door.

"Emma? Are you in there?"

"Shit," Emma mutters at the sound, looking around the room frantically for a place to hide Regina. With a flick of the hand, she disappears and an invisible force wraps around her wrist, squeezing gently.

"I'll be in the opposite corner," an invisible Regina tells her just as David opens the door.

"Snow tells me you've been going back to Maine," David says, by way of greeting.

"I have," Emma says, not even bothering to deny the fact.

"Emma, you know it's dangerous there. As your..."

"You are not my father!" She shouts, nearly shaking with her anger. Her eyes glow with her anger and she holds his gaze for long seconds before looking to the floor. "I'm sorry, David, I'm just not..."

"Used to it. I know," he says, pulling her into a hug. She wants to push away, to insist that even by Vampire creed he is not her father, he is simply the partner of her true sire, Snow. Instead, she lets him hold her as she thinks about her previous life, when she would have given nearly anything for someone to care for her the way David and Snow do.

"Lycanthrope territory is dangerous, Emma, and even more so because of who you are. We just don't want to see you hurt."

"They're not all bad," Emma says, her eyes flashing again as she thinks of Regina.

"Emma, you haven't lived as long as we have," David says, solemnly. "Your mother and I..."

"I know, I've heard it all before," she says, turning from him. "All I have ever known as a vampire is war! But you... you lived hundreds of years before the war began! Hundreds of years of peace! You know they're not all bad. We attacked _first_ , David. They're only retaliating!"

"We attacked first? They killed your grandfather!"

"Did they?" Emma asks, stalking back toward him. She doesn't bother correcting him on the grandfather point because it's been centuries and they still don't understand her reticence to adhere to family bonds. She'd never even met the guy. "Did they really? He died on Lycan territory, but do we know that it was them?"

"Your mother, she..."

"Had a connection, I'm aware. Just as she and I share a connection. But she never saw the face! She only knows he wore a cloak like the Lycanthropes and that Leopold suffered immense pain in his death. What if it was a Hunter at work?" she asks, recalling the stories Regina told her about the start of the Second War.

"Emma, the Lycans are not good," David says, avoiding the question.

"I'm sure they say the same about us," she says, holding the door open for him. "But maybe they're actually right."

David leaves with a huff and a sad glance to Emma, clearly not happy with her attitude. As soon as she shuts the door behind him, Regina reappears.

"What a lovely bonding moment."

Emma shakes her head. "Don't. Can we just get this over with?"

"My pleasure."

*

Watching Regina take Phillip's heart makes Emma flinch uncomfortable. He gasps and grabs for his chest, and Emma finds it strange that even after hundreds of years, that instinct to breathe is still there. She remembers exactly how it felt to have her own heart cradled in those very same hands, but it feels different to watch Regina as she whispers words into Phillip's heart and see him move without free will. It's something she'll never get used to, she supposes, but for now, she's thankful for it.

*

"He'll come back, right?" Emma asks after five minutes passes with no sign of Phillip.

"Yes, dear," Regina says, holding the heart toward her. "He'll be back."

As if on cue, Phillip walks back through the door, as smile on his face as he says, "I've done what you asked. Will there be anything else?"

"That will be all," Regina says before pushing his heart back in his chest and whispering incantations Emma knows will erase his memory and put him in a light sleep.

"Now for the really fun part," Emma says, reaching for Regina's hand before the two of them disappear into another puff of purple smoke.

*

As soon as they reach the cell Ruby was locked in, Ruby lunges for Regina in a way that reminds Emma of a puppy. The comparison makes her giggle and Ruby and Regina both send her curious glances.

"Nothing," she says, gesturing for them to go about their reunion as she hides a smile behind her hand.

"It's close to sunset," Regina notes, looking over at Emma. "We should be going."

Emma nods, not really wanting to see them go but knowing it's for the best.

"Thank you," Ruby says, pulling Emma into a hug as she laughs. "I never thought I'd be saying that to a bloodsucker."

"Well I never thought I'd be hugging a wolf," Emma tosses back playfully.

"Okay, _children_ ," Regina chides. "I'll see you soon?"

"Absolutely," Emma agrees with a nod. "I'll be there later tonight."

*


End file.
